When the
Zulu 'rebellion' of 1906 had been quelled and Gandhiji's duties in connection
with the ambulance corps raised by him came to an end, he prepared to settle
down with his family at Phoenix. But before he actually removed himself there
Kasturba fell seriously ill at Durban.

Her
condition grew worse day by day and Gandhiji consented to an operation after
Kasturba had agreed. She was very weak and the doctor had to perform the
operation without chloroform. While she was convalescing, Gandhiji, who was at
Johannesburg, received a telephone call from the doctor telling him that his
wife's con­dition was getting worse. The doctor told Gandhiji that unless she
received some beef tea, she might die and asked Gandhiji's permission to give
her the beef diet. Gandhiji refused to give such permission, but told the doctor
that if Kasturba consented to take it, then he had no objection. The doctor,
however, told Gandhiji that he refused to consult the patient, having regard to
her condition. He asked Gandhiji to come over to Durban at once.

When
Gandhiji arrived at Durban he was told by the doctor that he had already given
Kasturba the beef tea.

"The
question of fraud does not arise," the doctor replied. "In fact we doctors
consider it a virtue to deceive patients or their relatives, if thereby we can
save our patients."

Gandhiji
was deeply pained, but kept cool. He knew that the doctor meant well, besides
being his personal friend, but he was not prepared to put up with his medical
morals. Thus, after consultation with his son and Kasturba he removed her to
Phoenix, where, by the simple expedience of a prescription by Gandhiji himself,
she was finally cured.

After a
brief respite since her removal to Phoenix, Kasturba began to suffer again from
haemorrhage. Gandhiji remembered reading in some books on vegetarianism that
salt was not a necessary article of diet for man, that on the contrary saltless
diet was better for health. So, he suggested to his wife that she went on
saltless diet. She would not agree to this and when Gandhiji persisted, she
challenged him, saying that even he could not give up salt as an ingredient in
his diet although he was advising her to do so.

Gandhiji's reaction to this challenge may best be described in his own words:

"I was
pained and delighted at the same time — delighted in that I got an opportunity
to shower my love on her. I said to her, 'You are mistaken. Were I ailing and
advised to give up salt or any other article, I would unhesitatingly do so. But
there, without any advice, medical or otherwise, I give up salt and pulses for
one year, whether you do so or not.' "

Kasturba
was shocked at this and begged forgiveness of him. She knew that her husband
always meant what he said. She begged him to take back his vow and promised to
abstain from salt, explaining, 'This is too hard on me.'

Gandhiji
was not annoyed with her and ponsoled her. He told her that his abstaining would
assist her and would strengthen him. On this Kasturba broke down in tears,
knowing that Gandhiji would not retreat.

And
believe it or not, Kasturba began to pick up in health. The haemorrhage stopped
completely and soon she regained her usual robust health and, as Gandhiji
humorously observed, he added somewhat to his repu­tation as a 'Quack'.